The present disclosure relates generally to the field of plant husbandry and to the preparation of food for consumption. It relates more specifically to covers that protect plants, to receptacles into which fruits and vegetables are harvested, to kitchen tools for the rinsing and/or cooking of produce, to the irrigation of cultivated plants, and to the deterrence of nuisance wildlife.
The invention that is disclosed here is intended to be used by home gardeners, who grow outdoor plants such as tomatoes, peppers, basil, rosemary, etc. Their gardening may be made difficult or unproductive due to the presence of pests, including nuisance animals that eat or damage the fruits, vegetables or leaves of plants in the garden. Examples of such animal pests include deer, gophers, mice, opossums, rabbits, raccoons, rats, skunks, squirrels, voles, birds, and snakes. Roaming dogs and cats may also be a problem for the gardener, despite the fact that they may also scare away wildlife that is causing a problem. The present invention is intended particularly to address problems associated with those types of animal pests, but it may also be useful in protecting garden plants against insect pests as well.
Many methods have been used to control nuisance animals in the garden. The animals may be trapped or otherwise eradicated. The animals may be repelled using scent repellents. Visual and/or auditory devices may also be employed to scare the animals away from the garden.
It is also possible to protect garden plants by erecting a structure that prevents the nuisance animals from approaching the plants. Fencing may be used, including electrified fences. However, fences may be expensive and may not be a barrier to animals that can burrow under, climb over, or fly over the fence.
A better approach is to more completely surround individual plants or plant beds with enclosures that protect the plants on many sides. A traditional method is to place a cloche onto the ground over the plant. The cloche resembles an inverted basket or a bell. It may contain apertures and may be made of different materials, such as bamboo, chicken-wire, plastic, aluminum, or glass. Depending on the size of the cloche apertures, the cloche may protect the plant not only from wildlife, but also from frost, wind-chill, and overexposure to the sun. However, a determined animal pest or heavy wind may be able to knock the cloche over to expose the plant, and it does not block animals or insects that burrow.
Cages have also been used to protect plants. Conventional tomato cages are used primarily to provide mechanical support to branches of the tomato plant, but when the plant is young and does not have branches that need such support, the cage will nevertheless provide some protection from wildlife, depending on the spacing of hoops and rods on the cage. However, other types of cages have been described that provide a more dedicated protection against wildlife. Examples include the cages shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,334, entitled Outdoor planter system, to BOWDITCH; U.S. Pat. No. 1,739,426, entitled Plant protector, to STRIPLING; U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,759, entitled Plant growth promoting and protecting device, to HEINECKE; U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,340, entitled Plant protection device, to LEVETT; U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,326, entitled Plant shelter, to BORIA; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,935,879, entitled Plant cage kit, to FALK.
The cages known in the art are ordinarily placed over a plant growing in the ground, as with a cloche. However, cages have also been described that attach to planters or flower pots. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,953, entitled Potted plant protector device, to CHUBB et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,101, entitled Live goods planter cage and container, to KURTZ; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,120, entitled Modular plant support structure, to DAVIS et al. But none of them were designed with the deterrence of animal pests in mind.
Potted plants have also been placed within birdcages. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,022, entitled Bird cage, to HINTON, as well as examples of a “cage planter” manufactured by the Fuzhou Premiere Crafts Co., Ltd. as Model No. D32468, JJ002 (Third department, 10/F, Huamin Building, No. 165, Hudong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China 350003); or by the Putian Newpower Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd., as Model No. JY09836 (405 Hongfeng Bldg. Jiaxin Commercial Centre, Chengxiang, Putian City, Fujian Province, China 351100), which are listed and sold through Alibaba. However, the birdcage has a floor that is unnecessary unless the birdcage is being suspended, and the height of conventional birdcages limits the height of plants that can be grown within them.
A problem with existing plant-protection enclosure apparatus is that they are not constructed with plant harvesting in mind. Consider that many plants may require the gardener to harvest their fruits, vegetables, or leaves frequently. After the gardener has made a periodic inspection of the plant and has determined that the plant is ready for some harvesting, the gardener must get a receptacle in which to deposit the harvested produce, remove the enclosure apparatus from the plant, harvest the produce and deposit it into the receptacle, and replace the enclosure apparatus. The gardener will then go to the kitchen with the harvested produce, transfer the produce to a colander or similar tool for rinsing the produce, and if the gardener wants to enjoy the benefit of having freshly picked produce, he or she will then have to transfer the produce yet again to other cookware. The present invention is intended to save the gardener time and effort by eliminating some of the steps recited above, or by making it easier for the gardener to perform individual steps. The invention does not address a previously recognized problem or a previously recognized design need or a previously recognized market pressure in the arts of plant husbandry or food preparation. Accordingly, recognition of the problem that is solved by the disclosed invention is itself apparently novel.